The Tablet of Melkor
by Christina B
Summary: When an evil sorcerer's plot against Merlin causes his magic to be revealed, he must try to escape with his life. At the same time a mysterious curse threatens all of Camelot. And what will Arthur do when his trust in Merlin is shattered? LAST CHAPTER UP!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own the show Merlin, BBC does.

AN: The idea for this story just struck me last night and I have been writing ever since. This is my first full length Merlin fanfic that isn't a crossover, so I hope you like. This story is set about a month after the season 2 finale.

**The Tablet of Melkor**

**Chapter 1 **

Darkness fell over the city of Camelot, and as the full moon rose, a silent figure shrouded in a dark cloak watched as the teeming city all turned in for the long night ahead. The figure looked on as the castle guards changed, and knew this was the time to make his move. While the soldiers were distracted he slipped past them and like a shadow he flitted from post to pillar, and only slowed down once he finally opened the doors to the great castle.

The cloaked figure now seemed more relaxed, though still cautious and with practiced ease moved forward only pausing to look at the sign which pointed the way to the Court Physician.

Merlin tossed and turned, his sleep for once as fitful as the Lady Morgana's. He didn't dream, but for some reason he seemed to be completely in an unconscious state of nervousness. And with good reason. For when Merlin's movements finally settled, the cloaked figure entered the room silent as a ghost. The figure removed his hood and a sallow faced, grim looking man glared down at the young man.

Softly the man lift his hand, directing it at Merlin, and began to speak softly.

"_At amlyga hun at bod ddewin_."

And a slight sheen a white light came from Merlin briefly for a second, and he lowered his hand, as the light faded.

He smirked then looking at the sleeping young man. "Sleep well Emrys," he said condescendingly, "because it shall be the last you get!"

* * *

Merlin awoke with a start, his head pounding a tattoo into his brain. He had never slept so badly in his life, and despite his sometimes stressful life, he'd never had a problem sleeping like he did the night before. He lay down on his pallet and closed his eyes, trying to will his body to catch another few minutes of shut eye. But Gaius was having none of it.

"Merlin, get down here and have breakfast. I need you to fetch me some herbs before you go to work!" he old man called from downstairs.

Merlin sighed and sat up and dressed quickly before going downstairs to start another long day.

"Will you EVER be on time?" Arthur grumbled and Merlin stumbled into the Prince's chambers, late as usual.

"Just wait for the day when I am," Merlin countered. "You wouldn't know what to do with yourself."

Arthur rolled his eyes and Merlin grinned as he set down the platter of food he was carrying and Arthur seated himself and began to eat.

There was a knock on the door suddenly. "Enter," Arthur called.

The door opened and a soldier bowed briefly to Arthur before speaking. "The king requests your presence immediately."

* * *

"I can't explain it sire, at least four have already fallen into a coma, and this is no illness I'm aware of. It is similar to the ailment that Morgause inflicted on Camelot, except no one was sick before falling into unconsciousness," Gaius was explaining to Uther, as soon as Arthur and Merlin entered the throne room.

"So it must be sorcery," Uther declared.

"That is indeed the only conclusion I can come to," Gaius agreed.

"Arthur you must find the—" and suddenly Uther stopped his eyes growing wide.

Merlin was surprised to see that the king was staring straight at him. _What is going on? _He wondered, and then he saw a flicker in his vision, and looked down to see his palms glowing with an unnatural light. As he raised one hand a chair next to him rose with the hand. What was happening? He tried to use his magic to stop it, but it seemed for once his power refused to be controlled. Another chair lifted in the air.

"Sorcery!" Uther declared angrily. "Those golden eyes alone are the mark of a sorcerer, but to perform magic right in front of me!"

"Merlin?" Arthur asked shock and horror dawning on his face.

"Seize him," Uther declared. "He will be put to death tonight!"

* * *

AN: By the way for those wondering the spell is actually Welsh. I remember hearing in one of the commentaries that they used Welsh for some of the spells in the show so that is what I am using for this story. Comments are great appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own the show Merlin, BBC does.

**The Tablet of Melkor**

**Chapter 2**

The magic ceased suddenly, and Merlin felt he was in control again, but the damage was already done. Why couldn't he control himself? His magic always obeyed his command, and he couldn't help but feel suddenly fearful that this time it did not.

Arthur knew the truth now and while that was a relief, he was terrified to know how the prince would react. This was almost as bad as when the witchfinder accused him except unlike that time, it wasn't hearsay Uther saw the magic. Merlin felt as though he let everyone down, Arthur especially, but at the same time he knew he hadn't done it deliberately.

* * *

Arthur was absolutely flabbergasted. Merlin was a sorcerer! There had of course been a few times in the past when such a thing had been brought up, but Arthur always laughed at the prospect. To think that his clumsy idiot of a servant could be practicing magical arts in the very castle of the king who forbade it was simply preposterous. Yet hadn't Merlin saved his life on more than one occasion, and hadn't he always seemed to know just how to save the day from the various magical threats that always seemed to target Camelot.

Before Arthur would've said that he always trusted Merlin, but no he wasn't so sure. He kept the greatest, most dangerous secret of all and had not been honest with him. Arthur didn't know whether to be angry, hurt, shocked, or awed at the thought of Merlin being a sorcerer. It also made the prince question Merlin's motives. Why had he come to Camelot, why had he sought to work as a servant when he was so powerful? And why did Merlin stop Arthur from killing Uther that time when it would've been far safer for him to let the king die.

There were so many questions that he wanted to ask Merlin, but Arthur couldn't be sure that he could even trust that Merlin would tell him the truth. The thought of Merlin being executed that night disturbed the prince. He had it drilled in his head time after time that sorcerers were bad and must die so that Camelot would be safe, but this time it bothered him, more so even then when he helped the druid boy Mordred escape. There was only one thing he could do, talk to Merlin.

* * *

Merlin jumped up with surprise as he heard someone approaching his cell. "Gaius," he said, as his mentor came closer.

"Oh Merlin, you have really landed yourself in a right mess," Gaius said despairingly.

"I know," Merlin acquiesced. "But I didn't try to use magic, it just happened."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I wasn't even trying to use magic at the time!" Merlin explained.

"But that…" Gaius started and then frowned. "It seems altogether unusual that after being in control of your magic for most of your life that only now it is subconscious by nature."

"I know," Merlin agreed. "But what am I going to do? I'm supposed to protect Arthur, but how can I do that when I'm on the run from Uther or burnt on a stake?"

"I cannot answer that," Gaius replied honestly. "Everything depends on how Arthur reacts."

Merlin nodded, and felt the butterflies rise in protest in his empty stomach. How would the prince react to find that his manservant has been practicing magic in secret? He didn't have to wait long. Mere minutes after Gaius left, the prince came to the cell door.

Merlin studied Arthur's face, trying to determine just what he was thinking, but the Prince kept his face guarded so that there was no sign.

"You're a sorcerer," Arthur stated simply in an accusing voice.

"Yes," Merlin said cautiously.

"You know the law, why have you studied magic?"

"Arthur," Merlin started. "I was born like this; I cannot help doing magic when it is part of my very being! You have to believe me Arthur; I would never ever use my magic to harm Camelot."

"How can I believe your words when you've lied to me ever since you came here?" Arthur asked, an edge in his voice.

"I had no choice but to lie, the first day I was in Camelot a man was executed right in front of my eyes for the very same thing. What should I have done Arthur?" Merlin asked, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice.

"Ealdor's in Cendred's kingdom and yet you decided to come to Camelot, what could've ever compelled you to come here?"

"Because I already didn't fit in there and some were already suspicious. My mother was worried and she knew it would be good for me to be with Gaius."

"Has Gaius always known about you?" Arthur asked.

Merlin hesitated, not wanting to get his mentor in trouble. But then when he met Arthur's searching gaze, he nodded. "Since the day I arrived in Camelot."

"Why did you become my servant?" Arthur pressed.

"Because Uther didn't really give me a choice in the matter," Merlin stated simply, and then took a deep breath before elaborating. "Also because it is my destiny to protect you."

Arthur laughed once, and looked at Merlin incredulously. Then his expression hardened. "I don't know if I can believe your words, nor can I trust you any longer."

Merlin opened his mouth to speak, but the prince put up his hand. "Save it, I don't want to hear it any longer."

Arthur hesitated and then without even looking at Merlin, he opened the door. "My father will have my head for this, but I will not see you die even though I should since you've broken the laws of Camelot. Farewell Merlin, I never want to see you again."

"But Arthur," Merlin started to protest.

"Go now," Arthur commanded, his steely gaze proving to Merlin that there was no way he could argue. He stepped out past Arthur and left Camelot for good.

* * *

AN: I was blown away by all the response I got to this story, thank you all very much! That really encouraged me to get this chapter out as soon as possible. Unfortunately tornados ripped through my area the other day, and since I left my house so quickly to run to a shelter that I forgot to turn my computer off and it crashed when the power went out. I lost all my files, so I had to rewrite this and is why I was delayed a few days. Next chapter Merlin sets off on his own, and the mysterious plague continues in Camelot.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own the show Merlin, BBC does.

**The Tablet of Melkor**

**Chapter 3**

It felt like torture for Merlin to leave Camelot. After all this time the wizard had failed to realize just how much he loved the place, that now it was hard belief to just runaway from the life he'd built up over the last months. He complained constantly about how much of a nuisance it was to save Arthur's neck all the time, but now he would've given anything just to be working as the prince's manservant again.

For a sorcerer as powerful as Merlin it wasn't very difficult to escape the city unnoticed. Guards were easily distracted, and he soon was hidden by the forest that lay right outside of the city. Merlin didn't know where he should go, but he knew that Ealdor wasn't an option. Though he longed to see his mother again, he wouldn't want to endanger her by his presence and that was also the first place Uther would look. He could try going to the druids, but that also wasn't an option because he wouldn't deliberately go near Mordred again. It seemed that at the very least for the moment, he would be a wanderer.

Merlin sighed as he thought about his conversation with Arthur. He'd hoped the prince would've forgiven him, but of course nothing was that simple. It had felt very good to tell him the truth, but Arthur's reactions were not what he'd hoped. Instead of forgiveness, the prince now no longer trusted him. It seemed as if things could not grow any worse.

As the young warlock made his way through the forest, he was oblivious to the shrouded figure watching his departure. The figure pulled his hood down, and glared in the direction Merlin left.

"You may have escaped this time Emrys, but never fear I shall get my revenge!"

* * *

Arthur couldn't stop pacing; he couldn't stop thinking about the fact that Merlin was a sorcerer. The prince knew he did the right thing, knew that he was in the right to send Merlin away. While he no longer trusted his one time friend, he also wouldn't see him perish. It seemed like an out of body experience to think of Merlin being a sorcerer, yet he saw the magic with his own eyes.

And of course the king was absolutely furious at Merlin's apparent escape and for the entire morning that was all that Uther could talk about. The worst part of all was that the king of course suspected him of releasing Merlin, but Gaius was also Uther's main suspect. Since there was no way anything could be proved it left the king into a rage.

"We must find him!" Uther declared.

"I'm sure Merlin is long gone," Arthur replied mildly.

"This is not the first time that sorcerer has escaped me, but it will be the last!"

"Can't you just let him be?" Arthur asked, regretting the words almost the second they escaped his mouth.

"I will never let a sorcerer be! He has been privy to my secret councils for months, Merlin could do endless damage to the kingdom," Uther snapped.

Arthur was trying to think of some sort of retort when Gaius stepped into the room and bowed before the king.

"What is the meaning of this Gaius?" Uther asked.

"Sire, I'm sorry to intrude but I have a pressing matter to discuss with you," Gaius answered.

"What is it?" Uther growled.

"Ten more have fallen victim to this mysterious plague, but I now know what it is," Gaius started. "Have you ever heard of the Plague of Melkor?"

"Never," Uther replied.

"Melkor was a dark sorcerer who once killed thousands with one very powerful curse. I believe this same curse is now affecting Camelot," Gaius said.

"How widespread is it?"

"It depends on the boundaries set by the sorcerer who issued it, but from what I can tell all of Camelot is under its spell."

"Gaius, but you said the victims are only unconscious, how does it kill?" Arthur asked.

"Very simply," Gaius replied. "No one will recover and once everyone within the enchantment fall to the spell they will all perish at once."

"Is there an antidote?" Uther asked nervously.

"Only by finding the Tablet of Melkor and performing the counter-spell, but this can't be solved without magic," Gaius replied.

Uther glowered at him, his face growing red. "There has To be another option!"

"There is not sire," Gaius affirmed.

"Where is the tablet?" Arthur asked calmly.

"Far to the north, I have a list of clues, but not exact coordinates," he said.

"I'll go and retrieve it," Arthur stated.

"Arthur it is too dangerous," Uther countered.

"How much time does Camelot have, Gaius?"

"At the rate it is going, I feel that we only have a few weeks," Gaius said glumly.

"I must go, Camelot will fall if I don't," Arthur declared.

"Take some knights," Uther said, looking at his son anxiously.

"No, this must be done in secret, the knights will draw unwanted attention," Arthur retorted.

"Sire, there is one thing you have forgotten. A sorcerer must break the spell," Gaius pointed out.

"I won't allow it!" Uther raged.

"Then my efforts will be in vain," Arthur said to his father and then he looked at Gaius. "Perhaps I can find Merlin to break the spell."

"If anyone could break such an enchantment, I'm sure he would be up to it," Gaius said seriously.

And with that Arthur left the hall, ignoring Uther's furious comments as he went.

* * *

AN: Thanks to all my lovely readers and reviewers, you guys all give me inspiration to keep writing this. Next chapter Arthur and Merlin reunite.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own the show Merlin, the BBC does.

**The Tablet of Melkor**

**Chapter 4**

Arthur's thoughts tortured him as he galloped away from Camelot. He had barely began to process the fact that Merlin was a sorcerer, and now the prince had to find the very man his father would've murdered without a second thought. All Arthur's life he was told how wrong sorcery was, how sinister those who practiced magic were. Yet Merlin saved his life several times, and Arthur now suspected many other times the prince was not aware of. And for some reason he couldn't help but feel guilty.

Merlin was annoying from the beginning, but despite the number of arguments Arthur got into with his former manservant, at one time he trusted Merlin with his life. And he had to admit to himself that he had looked upon Merlin as a friend, rather than just a servant. Before the gangly farm boy came to Camelot Arthur had rarely paid any attention to the servants who before were so low below him that Arthur never cared for their opinions. Yet Merlin always spoke his mind and that was one of the many of the endearing yet irritating things that always set him apart from the other servants.

Arthur wasn't quite sure how he was going to be able to confront Merlin again, but as the people of Camelot had a death sentence on their heads, he had no choice. It was so peculiar for Arthur to think that only Merlin could save the kingdom, but as if fate was mocking him he had no choice but to follow through.

It wasn't difficult for Arthur to pick up the trail even though Merlin had apparently done his best to cover his tracks. If it were anybody besides Arthur looking for the trail then it would've been very difficult. Soon however, the prince could see a fire in the distance and dismounted his horse before cautiously approaching on foot.

He was in luck, Merlin was sitting before the campfire warming his hands, and sitting with his back to him. Arthur slowly approached from behind, cautious to make no sound as he went.

"You know," Arthur said evenly once he was a few feet away. "You really are an idiot."

Merlin nearly jumped out of his skin and he quickly stood and turned to see Arthur standing there. The young warlock averted his gave before speaking. "I thought you never wanted to see me again, Sire."

"Well we can't always get what we want," Arthur retorted.

"And why am I an idiot this time?" Merlin asked hesitantly.

"Because you clearly don't know how to hide your trail, a blind cow could've figured out where you are," Arthur commented, a grin pulling at his upper lip.

"And why have you come to find me?" Merlin asked in obvious confusion.

"Not to kill you, though I'm sure my father would approve. I'm here because Camelot needs your help." Arthur managed to say.

Merlin grinned, "But why would Camelot need an idiot's help?"

Arthur sighed exasperated, "The kingdom is in danger of being destroyed by yet another magical threat.

As you are the only sorcerer who appears to have good intentions, you are our only hope."

"That was difficult for you, wasn't it?"

"You have no idea," Arthur replied mildly.

"What do I need to do?" Merlin asked somewhat apprehensively.

"Gaius says we need to find the Tablet of Melkor, it is supposed to be far to the North, but we have to follow these clues to get there Arthur said handing Merlin the list.

Merlin took the parchment and studied it, his face growing more and more confused by the second. "Lake of glass? I've never even heard of such a place, and I've heard of phoenixes but I never learned where their nesting ground would be," he said, handing the sheet back to Arthur.

Arthur frowned. "So we don't have a clue, and all of Camelot is depending on us."

"Looks that way," Merlin replied.

"I want Uther dead."

"He will die in due time, I guarantee it."

Morgana looked from the cloaked figure of a man standing in from of her and then back to Morgause, whom she'd recent found out was her half sister. "What about Merlin?" she asked the man.

"The job was nearly complete, but Arthur foiled my plans," he explained angrily.

"Merlin needs to die," Morgause exclaimed angrily. "He nearly killed Morgana!"

"Emrys has escaped for now," he man said. "But he has joined Arthur, and they seek the Tablet, they must not reach it in time!"

"We will take care of Merlin and Arthur, Rikor you concentrate on Camelot," Morgause said.

Rikor nodded pulling down his hood.

"That will work nicely, I long for the day when the Pendragons no longer control the land and we can reveal ourselves without fear."

"The day approaches soon," Morgana said in agreement.

"Victory will be ours!"

AN: Thanks again to all my lovely reviewers and to any of my American readers out there, Happy Independence Day! Next chapter Merlin and Arthur undergo their quest!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own the show Merlin, the BBC does.

**The Tablet of Melkor**

**Chapter 5**

"Arthur, I think I understand the first clue," Merlin said breaking the end to the silence that had enveloped the two men for over an hour.

The prince who had been steadily watching the flames turned and looked at Merlin."What is it?"

"The lake of glass, I think it is not an actually lake made of glass, just an illusion," Merlin explained.

"Care to enlighten me," Arthur replied bored.

"I saw a lake once that you could see the reflection of mountains in the surface of the lake and well glass…"

"Reflects," Arthur finished. "Lead the way."

The two men hastily packed up their camping equipment and set off. Merlin remembered the last time he had been to the aforementioned lake was when he sent Freya's funeral bier out into the water. It was also the same lake where the magical sword that Uther defeated the wraith with was thrown into its depths. Merlin certainly had mixed feelings about returning to the spot, but it was necessary of course.

It didn't take them long to reach the spot. The clue said that when they reached the lake there would be rock formation off the left side of the lake that would apparently point then towards a path that would lead then in the right direction of their next clue. Merlin found the stone easily enough, but it was Arthur who led the way on the new path.

Merlin glanced back at the lake, such a serene place that held its share of mysteries. Merlin wondered about the sword again, and if there would come a time when Arthur would need its strength.

"Come on Merlin, we don't have all year!" Arthur yelled, drawing Merlin's gaze away from the lake. There was no time to dwell on it now.

* * *

"My Lord, more than thirty have fallen unconscious with twenty with the early symptoms. I fear that if the tablet isn't found in a week, we shall all perish," Gaius explained.

Uther frowned; he wanted to yell in anger, to strike down the sorcerer who was trying to destroy his kingdom. But of course that would do nothing. It felt strange that his hopes were in the hands of that bumbling fool Merlin. Though he knew that it was all an act that the boy was far more powerful then it appeared. The irony of it all was not lost on him.

"My son won't fail me," Uther replied.

"Begging your pardon, but neither will Merlin," Gaius commented.

A thought suddenly occurred to the king. "How long have you known about his magic?"

Gaius hesitated. "I've suspected it for a long time."

"And you did not report it to me?"

"Merlin is my nephew, Sire. My sister left him in my protection."

"Who knows what evil he committed right under our noses."

"Merlin has only used his magic for the good of Camelot."

And suddenly a few knights burst into the chamber. "My Lord, some sort of flying lizard is attacking Camelot," one demanded.

"It has killed at least three in the lower town, possibly more," another chimed in.

"Sorcery!" Uther exclaimed angrily.

* * *

AN: I apologize for my disappearance off the face of the earth for a few months, I've just endured my first quarter of college and it left little time for writing. I will try to be better in the future, but in the meantime I hope you enjoyed this. And as always I'm grateful for any feedback, thanks to all my lovely readers!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own the show Merlin, the BBC does.

**The Tablet of Melkor**

**Chapter 6**

_One Week Later_

"Merlin, stop whining! You're worse than Morgana on a bad hair day." Arthur snapped at his former manservant.

"I was just saying that it would be nice to take a break, we've been looking for the nesting ground for hours and people need sleep you know," Merlin replied.

"Camelot is in danger," Arthur retorted. "We will rest later."

Merlin sighed, looking over their list of clues. They had covered lots of ground over the last few days and had successfully found most of their clues, actually all but the last one in fact. Most of them had been fairly obvious landmarks, but this one was particularly confusing.

"We're supposed to go to the mouth of the phoenix nesting ground, where would that be?" he asked aloud.

"I already told you that I didn't know, I thought it was a myth." Arthur replied.

Merlin thought about it for a moment. "Phoenixes are supposed to be extremely magical creatures who die in flames and are born again in their own ashes."

"That doesn't help at all," Arthur retorted.

"Yes it does," Merlin said, realization dawning in his eyes. "Look!"

Arthur turned to see what Merlin was talking about, and it wasn't long before he recognized the smoke billowing from a certain mountain. "Great, let's go check out a volcano."

A short while later Arthur and Merlin had made progress up the slope of the volcano and it wasn't long before they began to see the indents where the phoenix nests were. Neither of them could see any of the peculiar birds, nor anything that could be labeled as a mouth.

"I don't like this," Merlin said. "I feel like we are being watched."

"Let me guess is that some strange sorcerer intuition?" Arthur asked.

"No, it's just a feeling," Merlin replied honestly.

"Look," Arthur pointed a short way up the mountain. "It looks like there is a path up there."

The two young men climbed the short way up and the prince was proven right as there was a clear path cut through the mountain.

"Let me guess," Merlin quipped. "It leads to a pool of lava."

"Probably," Arthur replied. "You're always the optimist, Merlin."

"I do try."

Arthur was about to say something else when he suddenly heard a low growl coming from right in front of them. He pulled his sword from its sheath.

"What was that?" Merlin whispered.

Arthur didn't answer, and waited. It was silent, nothing stirred the air until just as he was about to lower his sword, something swooped down from a high peak and grabbed Merlin in its sharp talons. So quickly that he didn't have a chance to react, the bird flew away.

* * *

Gaius frowned. The Plague of Melkor was working it magic quickly throughout Camelot, Over a hundred had already succumbed to the enchanted sleep, among them Sir Leon and Gwen. It was making defense of Camelot that much more difficult for now those who started showing early symptoms of the plague had to make sure they reached shelter before it took effect, otherwise suffer from the monsters outside.

The elderly physician couldn't help but wonder about Merlin. Had Arthur found him? Did they find the Tablet yet? He knew the journey would be treacherous, but he knew the two of them could manage it if anyone could. Either way, however, Camelot was running out of time.

* * *

AN: Sorry again for the long wait, let me assure you I am not quitting this story. My life is being eaten by something called college and this month I was also participating in NaNoWriMo. Thank you to all my lovely readers and I'm always grateful for any feedback!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own the show Merlin, BBC does.

**The Tablet of Melkor**

**Chapter 7**

"Merlin!" Arthur shouted as he watched the giant phoenix fly away with his friend in its talons. He stood there for a moment just in complete and total shock, and then Arthur knew that he had to get moving. It wasn't hard to see where the bird was taking Merlin because it was nearly the summit of the smoking mountain.

"You better not die, you idiot," Arthur muttered, in an attempt to cover up the fear her felt for Merlin's safety.

The volcanic peak was a struggle to climb because every step Arthur took, the volcanic rocks would simply crumble in his hands. There were several times when he nearly lost his grip completely, but the thought of Merlin being eaten kept Arthur motivated to continue. A few years ago, the Prince of Camelot never would've gone to such lengths to help a mere servant, but Merlin had changed his perspective and Arthur knew he was a much different person since meeting him.

Suddenly Arthur heard a yell that that unmistakably Merlin.

"Hold on," Arthur said. "I'm coming!"

* * *

Merlin had never had a fear of heights, but to find himself airborne hundreds of feet in the air absolutely terrified him. He racked his mind trying to think of a spell that could help his situation, but even if he could get the bird to release him, Merlin didn't really want to fall to his death. And besides he read about phoenixes once and he remembered that they were incredibly magic birds that were immune to magical attacks. There was nothing he could do.

He could see the great burning mountain in the distance and sincerely hope the phoenix wasn't going to drop him in a pile of lava. They kept going higher and higher until Merlin could finally see their destination. There was a massive ledge carved out right near the summit of the volcano where there was what only could be described as a nest. It was the legendary phoenix nesting grounds, and Merlin just hoped he would live to tell the tail.

Merlin was dropped suddenly on the edge of the precipice as the phoenix landed close beside him. He rolled away from the edge, and got to his feet. In front of him was a great mound of ashes and there were seven old and sickly looking phoenixes close by. Their feathers were all mottled and they didn't pay any attention to Merlin. The younger phoenix chirped at them once before sitting on its haunches.

Merlin was confused, what was going to happen to him? And then suddenly one by one flame burst from each of the elderly phoenixes and they disappeared in a pile of ashes. No, Merlin corrected himself, they didn't disappear. For seven phoenix hatchlings were all looking at him with ravenous yellow eyes. The older phoenix chirped again, and then as a whole the hatchlings charged at him.

"_Astrice_!" Merlin called out, but as he feared the spell had no impact. There were almost upon him, he had to do something. His eyes flashed gold and suddenly rock fell down in front of him, blocking off the birds access. But the phoenixes were smart and they hopped on the rock and jumped on him. It was all Merlin could do to protect his face from the birds' sharp beaks.

Merlin winced as he felt a beat peck his hands and as another beak dug sharply in his thigh. The pain startled him, and not for the first time did Merlin really think he was about to die.

"NO!" he heard a shout suddenly very close. "Leave him alone!"

Merlin heard the sound of the phoenixes shriek as some of the birds left their onslaught and went to attack this new defender. He knew who it was of course; Arthur could never resist a fight. He looked up and could see the Prince fighting the birds off. And one by one he hit them with his sword and one by one the birds fell down the mountainside. They weren't dead of course since the phoenix was immortal, but he had defeated them for the moment.

"Arthur," Merlin said. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," Arthur replied breathless.

Merlin tried to stand, but winced as the pain in his leg nearly stopped him in his tracks.

"You're injured," Arthur said as he walked over to Merlin and looked down at his leg wound. He ripped a piece of his shirt off again and tied it tight around Merlin's leg to stop the bleeding. "Gaius is going to need to look at that."

"If we even make it back to Gaius," Merlin said fearfully as he pointed to the enraged adult phoenix.

The bird attacked Arthur, and it was all he could do to hold up his sword in defense, the bird lunged and swerved and tried to peck him to death. If it wasn't for Arthur's training he would've been killed almost immediately.

As Merlin watched the fight, something caught the corner of his eye. Hidden in an alcove of the nest was some sort of bound parchment. Merlin crawled towards it and when he had it in his hands, Merlin was overjoyed to realize that it was the Tablet of Melkor. He found it, Camelot could be saved.

But then Merlin heard a shout and while Arthur was still holding up well against the bird, it was only a matter of time before the Prince would fail. Merlin had to do something, and then it came to him. He called upon the magic that set him apart from every other sorcerer and that was his ability to call upon the dragons. Merlin called Kilgharrah.

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AN: Sorry about the cliffy and sorry about the wait, this has been a busy month. Thanks to all my lovely readers and I would be grateful for any feedback and I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own the show Merlin, BBC does.

**The Tablet of Melkor**

**Chapter 8**

The time it took for Kilgharrah to arrive seemed way too long to Merlin, and Arthur was doing his best to keep the attacking bird at bay. Merlin hated feeling so helpless; he had never been in a situation where his magic was useless. So he tried to distract himself by looking at the spells in the tablet, trying to commit them to memory.

Merlin heard Arthur shout once, and for a split second he feared the phoenix won the fight, but no the bird startled the prince by attacking at a different angle. But still Merlin could tell that Arthur was tiring. He looked down at his wounded leg, the torn shirt already soaked with his blood. He put a hand on his wound, ignoring the pain and muttered a healing spell. Nothing happened and yet again Merlin was mad at himself for not being able to work healing magic properly.

Then Merlin heard a roar coming from the sky, one that he recognized immediately. Kilgharrah had answered Merlin's call as the young Dragonlord knew he would. The dragon glanced at Merlin briefly and then smashed right into the phoenix. Arthur lost his balance when he was clipped by the bird's wing.

Kilgharrah and the phoenix both took off and appeared to be doing some strange sort of dance as the agile bird and the bulky dragon started to fight. After a short and furious fight, Kilgharrah opened his maw and blew flame at phoenix. It seemed to devour the bird and as Merlin watched, the phoenix died, was born again as a chick, and then fell out of the sky when its short wings couldn't support it.

Arthur got his footing again and rushed over to Merlin. "I thought that dragon was dead!" he growled.

Merlin sighed. "No, I spared Kilgharrah if he promised to never attack Camelot again. There is something else I never told you."

"And what is that?" Arthur snapped.

"I'm a Dragonlord," Merlin admitted.

"I thought Balinor was the last Dragonlord," Arthur replied.

"He was, but the gift is passed down from father to son. And…" Merlin trailed off.

"What?" Arthur demanded.

Merlin frowned, he didn't want to be reminded of the loss of his father so soon after their first meeting. "I'm his son, and when he died, his gift was passed down to me."

"No wonder you were crying," Arthur said in realization. "I'm sorry, Merlin."

"Thanks," Merlin replied, before wincing as his leg gave him another powerful throb.

"You are injured, young warlock," Kilgharrah observed.

"It talks!" Arthur gasped in shock.

"Of course I talk," Kilgharrah retorted, a bit miffed.

"We need to get back to Camelot," Merlin said, interrupting them.

"You need that leg taken care of," Kilgharrah pointed out.

"And we need the tablet first," Arthur pointed out.

Merlin held out his hand and showed Arthur, the parchment. "Here is the Tablet of Melkor, now let's go save Camelot. "He said and then turned to the dragon. "Will you take us?"

The dragon sighed and lowered his neck so they could climb it. "If I must."

With some assistance from Arthur, Merlin managed to climb on top of the dragon's neck, though his leg pained him the entire time. When he was seated, he looked down at the prince who looked up at him skeptically.

"Are you sure this is safe?" Arthur asked skeptically.

Merlin laughed, "don't tell me you are—scared."

"I'm not scared, I'm just not sure if riding a dragon is the safest thing in the world, and we still have horses," Arthur pointed out.

"It sounds like you are scared to me," Merlin joked. "But we need speed, and Kilgharrah is much faster than horses will ever be."

"I'm NOT scared," Arthur retorted angrily.

"Prove it," Merlin replied, grinning.

Arthur climbed up Kilgharrah's back without another word and soon they were heading back to Camelot.

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"They were not supposed to find the Tablet!" Rikor roared, glaring at the two witches standing in front of him.

"The phoenix was supposed to kill them, and they would've if it wasn't for that infernal dragon!" Morgause retorted in a scathing tone.

"I told you that a phoenix couldn't be enchanted, not even by you Morgause," he replied.

"The phoenix is a naturally peaceful bird, they WERE enchanted," she answered.

"Nonetheless, you have failed, so I will finish Emrys off. He is already injured, it will not be difficult."

And with that, the sorcerer left, ready for the final confrontation.

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AN: Thank you to all my lovely readers and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! As always I'm grateful for any feedback.

**And on another note I have a fanfiction website here: christinasfanfictionhaven dot webs dot com for all the latest news on story updates, my fanfic blog, videos, and this month's featured story.**


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own the show Merlin, the BBC does.

AN: Well here you have it, the final confrontation! I hope you all enjoy!

**The Tablet of Melkor**

**Chapter 9**

When Kilgharrah arrived in Camelot he flew through the city and scared away the remaining flying lizards that the dragon identified as wyvern. And when he finally landed, Merlin slid off the dragon being careful to avoid landing on his injured leg, while Arthur hurried to get back on the ground.

"I've never been so happy to see the ground," Arthur muttered.

"You WERE scared," Merlin replied with a grin.

"Of course not, Merlin, I just-," Arthur's words trailed into a series of mutters that Merlin couldn't make out.

"What did you say?" Merlin asked, gleefully.

"I said I'm scared of heights, ok are you happy?" Arthur shouted with frustration.

"Of course," Merlin replied, his grin growing into a pleased smirk.

Suddenly Merlin felt the point of Arthur's sword at his throat. "If you tell anyone—" the prince threatened.

"You will kill me, I know," Merlin finished.

"That's right," Arthur confirmed, sheathing his blade.

As they walked towards the citadel, Merlin limped along as fast as he could, and occasionally Arthur helped him as they made their way through the lower town. Here the evidence of the Curse of Melkor was very evident from the slumped bodies lying on the street and in the main square. Some were the victims of the wyvern, but fortunately most were just unconscious and not deceased which meant that there was someone still awake in Camelot. Arthur and Merlin finally made their way to the castle and once inside, Merlin opened up the Tablet.

Merlin sighed as he studied it.

"What?" Arthur asked.

"This is easily the most difficult spell I've ever tried to learn," Merlin admitted.

"You better be able to do it," Arthur warned. "Otherwise Camelot is doomed."

"So no pressure," Merlin confirmed.

"None at all," Arthur commented.

Merlin grinned at him, but then it faltered.

"What's wrong?" asked Arthur.

"I just sensed magic," Merlin answered. "Powerful magic."

"Are you sure it isn't this enchantment that you are sensing?" Arthur asked.

"No," Merlin said with certainty. "It is something else."

"Are you talking about me?" said a new voice. Merlin and Arthur turned to see a robed figure standing just a few feet away from them.

"Who are you?" Arthur demanded.

"You may be Prince Arthur," the man said. "But you are unworthy of my time. I came to talk to Emrys."

"His name is Merlin, you idiot," Arthur muttered.

"The Druids call me Emrys," Merlin told Arthur before looking at the sorcerer. "You know my name, tell me yours."

"I am Rikor, the Last Priest of the Old Religion! And you Emrys, will die and take Camelot with you!"

"I defeated Nimueh," Merlin said boldly. "Remember her? She underestimated my abilities and she died because of it, don't make her mistakes."

"Believe me, I won't," Rikor declared.

Arthur drew his sword. "Merlin doesn't fight alone."

Rikor laughed a cruel sort of laugh. "Swords are no match for magic-_Færdryre beinnan malscrung_!"

And Arthur froze, his sword clattered on the ground and he fainted.

"What did you do to him!" Merlin yelled, furious.

"He has only succumbed to the plague of Melkor," Rikor replied. "Soon the last victims will fall asleep and the curse of Melkor will destroy Camelot!

"Not if I have anything do with it," Merlin retorted. "_Astrice_!

The spell knocked Rikor backwards, but he remained standing. "How are you feeling, Emrys? Weak?"

Merlin tried to ignore Rikor, but he was right. Ever since he was pecked by the phoenix, his wound felt worse as time wore on. Merlin knew that his magic would not be as powerful as if he were fully healthy.

"I am fine," he declared. Raising his hand, he tried again. "_Féondræs_!"

Again, the spell did little to effect Rikor and the sorcerer grinned as the effect of the spell wore off. "This is going to be too easy," he declared and held his hands towards Merlin and spoke quickly. "_Astrícan plúmfeðer_!"

Merlin suddenly felt as though he was being pushed and before he knew it he landed on the ground, right on top of his injured leg. He bit his lip to avoid crying out from the sharp pain that overwhelmed him.

"That hurts, doesn't it?" Rikor said mockingly. "Don't worry, it will all be over soon."

Merlin winced and tried to call up his magic, but his mind blanked and for one of the first times in his life he had trouble summoning his power. Well, almost. He opened his mouth and spoke. To Rikor it sounded like gibberish, like a spell that had no meaning. But when Merlin finished, he finally had the strength to stand again.

"Bravery will get you nowhere, Emrys," Rikor scolded. "And this time it will get you killed." The sorcerer lifted his hand and opened his mouth, ready to deal that final fatal blow.

And Merlin started to laugh uproariously.

"What is SO funny?" Rikor demanded, distracted from the spell he almost spoke.

"You are," Merlin said, grinning. "You really think I'm powerless right now?"

"It doesn't matter, you will die," Rikor said, preparing again to utter his curse.

"By the way," Merlin said calmly. "Have you met my friend?"

Startled, Rikor looked up and horror dawned on his face as he saw a dragon making a beeline right for him.

"Did you know that I'm a Dragonlord?" Merlin asked.

Rikor didn't answer; in fact he didn't have time to answer since in the next moment he was consumed by Kilgharrah's fire.

Then the great dragon landed and turned around to face Merlin.

"Thank you again," Merlin said. "I didn't have the strength to fight him."

"You never lost your ability, young warlock. You could have faced this alone," Kilgharrah replied.

Merlin opened the Tablet once more and looked at the spell. "I don't know if I can."

"Don't doubt yourself, you are more powerful than you know."

Merlin paused and closed his eyes briefly before reading from the Tablet of Melkor. "_Ende __þes ámánsumung hælu þás rice ic æbebod!_"

He knew the spell had worked instantly because Arthur started to stir. But Merlin didn't know anything more because he started seeing spots and in seconds he blacked out.

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AN: I think I will be able to wrap up this story with one more chapter and in it we will finally find out what Uther will do about Merlin's magic. As always thank you to my wonderful readers/reviewers and as always I'm grateful for any feedback!


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own the show Merlin, the BBC does.

**The Tablet of Melkor**

**Chapter 10**

When Merlin finally awoke, he realized right away that he was in his own bed again. Faint sunlight streamed through his window with the promise of a beautiful day. He sat up quickly ad winced as he noticed that his head hurt. Apparently he bumped his head when he fainted. Then he remembered his other injury and looked at his leg seeing that it was freshly bandaged. It still hurt, but not nearly as much as it had before, and when he tried to stand Merlin found that he could walk without a limp now.

He walked down the steps into Gaius' quarters and was happy to see his mentor puttering around, making some potion of some kind. "Gaius!" Merlin explained as he rushed forward to embrace his friend.

"Merlin, you gave me a start," Gaius said, but then smiled. "I'm glad to see you."

"Me too," Merlin replied. "It has been a long couple of days."

Suddenly Gaius wore an expression of disapproval that Merlin knew well. "Your wound was infected, and I almost didn't treat you in time!"

Merlin winced. "I knew it was bad, but I didn't think it was that bad."

"What happened?" Gaius said. "Arthur never told me the story."

Merlin smiled and started to tell his tale.

"Merlin, it is about time," Arthur grumbled when Merlin entered the prince's chambers later that day.

"Sorry I was too sick to clean your socks," Merlin muttered sarcastically.

"You should be," Arthur said jokingly. "It was too quiet around here."

"So what happened after I passed out?" Merlin asked.

"Everyone woke up pretty quickly, I want to hear your story," Arthur countered. "What happened after I fell under that spell."

"Kilgharrah came and killed the sorcerer and I ended the curse," Merlin replied simply.

"Being a Dragonlord sure seems to come in handy," Arthur observed.

Merlin grinned, "you can say that again."

Suddenly Arthur rolled his eyes. "Stop acting so pleased with yourself! Its—"

"Obnoxious?" Merlin asked.

"Yes."

"Irritating?"

"Yes."

"Annoying?"

"Yes!"

"Now you know how I feel," Merlin joked.

"Merlin!" Arthur exclaimed. "Shut-"

"Arrest him!" said one of the guards as they burst into Arthur's chambers and grabbed Merlin. Two of them started to drag him away.

"What is the meaning of this?" Arthur demanded.

"Sire, we have orders from the King," one said. A furious followed the guards as they took Merlin to the throne room.

Uther sat on his throne, glaring down at Merlin. "What do you have to say for yourself, sorcerer?"

"Um, I just saved Camelot," Merlin said meekly, not looking in Uther's eyes.

"Camelot was only in danger FROM sorcery," Uther pointed out. "Magic has no place in my kingdom!"

"Father," Arthur protested. "We would all be dead if it wasn't for Merlin; he has saved my life countless times!"

"Nevertheless, he has broken the law and he must be punished," Uther retorted.

"If I hadn't broken the law then Arthur would have died from Lady Helen's dagger, Valiant's shield, in the Caves of Balor, from the Griffin, from the Questing Beast-need I go on?" Merlin said sternly. "I assure you Sire, that is only the beginning."

"Who do you serve?" Uther demanded.

"I only serve Arthur," Merlin replied. "It is my destiny to protect him."

"Destiny," Uther scoffed.

"If you don't believe me, then there is nothing I can do to change your mind," Merlin said.

"Tell me one good reason I should let you live," Uther said.

"I have given you several good reasons Sire," Merlin said. "But if you execute me today, who would be able to save Camelot from the next magical threat? Because I assure you that the only way to fight magic is to use magic. If it is used for the right reasons, magic can be a wonderful thing."

Uther frowned and turned to look at his son questioningly.

Arthur must have guessed what Uther was going to say, because when he spoke it was in earnest. "Father, Merlin is a loyal servant and despite everything he is my best friend. He doesn't deserve to die because of something he was born with."

Uther sat brooding for several moments after this before he finally gave his verdict.

"I will let him live," Uther said to Arthur. "But I have a couple conditions. He is to never use his magic or speak about it openly. If the public were to find out I was soft on a sorcerer-," he left the threat hanging.

"So basically nothing changes," Merlin said grinning.

"I will be watching you. And if you harm me or my son, I will not be held responsible for my actions!" Uther threatened, before glancing at the guards still holding Merlin. "Release him."

Merlin almost couldn't believe his good luck. For Uther to turn a blind eye to his magic was a dream come true. Never would he have to fear his magic being discovered, it was going to make his life so much simpler. And as an added bonus Arthur had admitted before the whole court that Merlin was his best friend. Which was something the prince would've never admitted out loud, though he and Merlin both knew it was the truth. From such an auspicious beginning, they had formed a fast friendship despite all their differences.

"Hello best friend," Merlin said when he returned to Arthur's chambers that evening.

"Shut up Merlin," Arthur grumbled.

"Nice to know you regard me so high," Merlin said, grinning.

"I don't," Arthur snapped.

"Don't lie," Merlin said. "I know the truth."

"You're delusional," Arthur replied. "I think that magic of yours has addled your brain."

Merlin only smiled widely which made Arthur frown deeper before speaking. "I need you to clean my tunics, muck out my stables, sharpen my sword, and polish my armor."

"What a reward for saving Camelot—again," Merlin said sarcastically.

"Yeah well, you ARE my servant," Arthur defended himself.

"And you are a prat," Merlin replied, before starting to leave to do his chores. But just before he reached the door, he heard Arthur speak again.

"Thank you Merlin."

Merlin smiled, taking in praise for his actions for the one of the first times since he came to Camelot. As far as rewards went it was enough.

_**THE END**_

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AN: Well we've reached the end at last! I want to thank all of you amazing people who have helped make writing this story so much fun! I hope you have enjoyed the end, and I'm grateful for any feedback!


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